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PMA Union Press Releases
September 23, 2022 Philadelphia Museum of Art workers announce strike View press release >
September 15, 2022 Philadelphia Museum of Art workers launch warning strike View press release >
August 30, 2022 Philadelphia Museum of Art workers vote to authorize strike View press release >
August 26, 2022. AFSCME District Council 47, Local 397, PMA Union files Unfair Labor Practice Charges against Philadelphia Museum of Art management. View press release >
August 6, 2020. Workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art vote to unionize in historic landslide win. 89% vote yes! View press release >
July 20, 2020. Hundreds of supporters—including labor unions, artists and arts organizations, and other allies—express solidarity with the unionizing staff at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and call on museum leadership to refrain from anti-union activity. View press release >
June 10, 2020. PMA Union requests employer commit to neutrality, cease anti-union activity with noted “union avoidance” law firm Morgan Lewis. View press release >
May 22, 2020. Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Form Union. View press release >
In the News
October 18, 2022 The Art Newspaper: “Philadelphia Museum of Art workers reach contract agreement, ending three-week strike.” View article >
October 17, 2022 ARTnews: “Philadelphia Museum of Art and Union Agree To Three-Year Contract After 19-Day Strike.”View article >
October 14, 2022 Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Celebrate Victory After 19-Day Strike.” View article >
October 14, 2022 Artnet News: “After 19 Bitter Days on Strike, the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Union Has Reached a Tentative Deal With Management.” View article >
October 14, 2022 WHYY: “Philly art museum union to end strike, calling tentative deal a ‘game-changer’.” View article >
October 14, 2022 Artblog: “Striking Philadelphia Museum of Art Union workers share their thoughts.” View article >
October 12, 2022 WHYY: “After 17 days, the Art Museum director acknowledges striking workers.” View article >
October 10, 2022 Hyperallergic: “Beleaguered Philadelphia Museum of Art Disables Social Media Comments.” View article >
October 8, 2022 NPR: “Strike by Philadelphia Museum of Art workers shows woes of 'prestige' jobs.” View article >
October 7, 2022 Hyperallergic: “I’m a Philadelphia Museum of Art Worker and This Is Why We’re Striking.” View article >
October 3, 2022 WHYY: “Art Museum workers continue strike into second week.” View article >
September 27, 2022 ARTnews: “Union Members at the Philadelphia Museum of Art On Strike Indefinitely, as New Director Starts.” View article >
September 26, 2022 Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Go on Strike Indefinitely.” View article >
September 26, 2022 Artnet News: “Unionized Workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Are Going on Strike Until They Reach a Contract With Management.” View article >
September 16, 2022 6ABC: “Union workers at the Philadelphia Art Museum go on 1-day strike.“ View story >
September 16, 2022 CBS Philadelphia: “Nearly 200 employees walk off job at Philadelphia Museum of Art.“ View story >
September 16, 2022 Fox29: “Philadelphia Museum of Art employees stage one-day warning strike for better wages, healthcare.“ View story >
September 16, 2022 WHYY: “Nearly 200 employees walk off job at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.” View article >
September 16, 2022 ARTnews: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Union Workers Hold a One-Day Warning Strike.” View article >
September 16, 2022 Artnet News: “Union Workers at the Philadelphia Museum ofArt Are Going on a One-Day ‘Warning’ Strike.” View article >
September 16, 2022 The Art Newspaper: Philadelphia Museum of Art workers hold one-day strike.” View article >
September 16, 2022 Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Announce Daylong Strike.” View article >
September 16, 2022 Philadelphia Tribune: “Union Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art plan one-day strike.” View article >
September 16, 2022 Philly Voice: “Philadelphia Museum of Art workers hold 1-day strike for better wages, benefits.” View article >
September 7, 2022 AFSCME: “Workers at storied Philadelphia Museum of Art authorize a strike.” View article >
August 31, 2022 Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum Workers Vote for Strike as Union Talks Stall.”" View article >
August 31, 2022 WHYY: “Philadelphia Museum of Art workers union authorizes strike.” View article >
August 31, 2022 Philadelphia Inquirer: “Workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art authorize a strike.” View article >
August 31, 2022 Philly Voice: “Philly art museum workers vote to authorize strike amid ongoing contract negotiations.” View article >
August 31, 2022 Metro Philadelphia: “Philadelphia Museum of Art workers authorize strike.” View article >
August 31, 2022 ARTnews: “Philadelphia Museum Workers Vote To Strike After Accusing Leadership of Union-Busting.” View article >
February 21, 2022. The New York Times: “U.S. Museums See Rise in Unions Even as Labor Movement Slumps.” View article >
November 27, 2021. Truthout: “A Unionization Wave Is Reshaping Museums and Cultural Institutions Across the US.” View article >
October 4, 2021. Bloomberg CityLab: “Museum Workers, Jolted by Pandemic Job Losses, Turn to Unions.” View article >
October 4, 2021. AFSCME: “Report: Cultural institutions took federal money but still let go of workers.” View article >
May 23, 2021. The Art Newspaper: “The first ‘wall to wall’ museum union in the US turns one year old.” View article >
August 7, 2020. The Art Newspaper: “Philadelphia Museum of Art vote to unionise in 89% supermajority.” View article >
August 7, 2020. Artsy: “Philadelphia Museum of Art employees voted overwhelmingly to unionize.” View article >
August 6, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “Philadelphia Museum of Art workers have voted decisively to unionize.” View article >
August 6, 2020. New York Times: “Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art Vote to Join Union.” View article >
August 6, 2020. WHYY: “Employees at Philadelphia Museum of Art vote to unionize.” View article >
August 6, 2020. Artnet: “Days After More Than 80 Philadelphia Museum of Art Employees Were Laid Off, the Institution’s Workers Have Voted to Unionize.” View article >
August 6, 2020. Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Unionize, With 89% Majority Vote.” View article >
August 5, 2020. Artblog: “Let’s chat about the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union.” View cartoon >
July 29, 2020. Hyperallergic: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Concludes Workplace Assessment After Allegations of Abuse.” View article >
July 28, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “‘A pretty bleak picture’: Philadelphia Museum of Art reveals to staff what its workplace assessment uncovered.” View article >
June 26, 2020. Hyperallergic: “Amid Mass Furloughs, Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Schedule Union Election.” View article >
June 25, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “Philadelphia Museum of Art staff and management set date for union election.” View article >
June 24, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “Philadelphia Museum of Art plans to shed at least 100 employees—more than 20 percent of its staff.” View article >
June 22, 2020. Members of City Council urge the museum’s board of trustees to recognize the PMA Union. View letter of support >
June 21, 2020. Museum leadership refuses to recognize the PMA Union. View our statement >
June 15, 2020. Dissent Magazine: “The Union Drive at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.” View article >
June 11, 2020. artnet News: “As Its Workers Organize, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Management Turns to an Infamous Anti-Union Law Firm.” View article >
June 10, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “Philly art museum hires big law firm as staff seeks recognition of union.” View article >
June 10, 2020. Artforum: “Organized Staffers Accuse Philadelphia Museum of Art of Union-Busting.” View article >
June 10, 2020. The Art Newspaper: “Labour organising committee assails Philadelphia museum’s use of a ‘union avoidance’ law firm.” View article >
June 8, 2020. AFSCME.ORG: “Philadelphia Museum of Art staffers seek to unite through AFSCME.” View article >
May 28, 2020. Nonprofit Quarterly: “Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art Seek to Unionize.” View article >
May 26, 2020. artnet News: “Unionizing Philadelphia Museum of Art Staffers Are Trying to Leverage the Support of One of the US’s Biggest Labor Unions.” View article >
May 26, 2020. The Art Newspaper: “Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art seek to unionise.” View article >
May 26, 2020. ArtMuseumTeaching.com: “The Power of Collective Action: PMA Union announcement” (written by members of the Division of Education at the Philadelphia Museum of Art). View article >
May 25, 2020. Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH), Rutgers University, Camden: “Workers at Philly Art Museum Petition for Union.” View article >
May 25, 2020. Artforum: “Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Seek to Unionize.” View article >
May 22, 2020. Philadelphia Inquirer: “Workers at Philadelphia Museum of Art seek to unionize.” View article >
May 22, 2020. WHYY.ORG: “‘Inequities and biases’: Workers petition for union at Philadelphia Museum of Art ahead of reopening.” View article >